A reason to be stronger
by The.Cats.Grin
Summary: Tsunade decides it's time for Hinata to become a full kunoichi. Hinata's willing to push herself, and everyone is willing to help her. When the training becomes more than any one bargained for no one knows what to do. Rated M just in case for future chapters.
1. Chapter 1

A/N: I have only briefly proof read this, so there might be errors. Hope you enjoy :)

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><p>Hinata knocked firmly on the Hokage's door. She hadn't been summoned, but for this rare moment the Hyuuga heiress was irate. The Fourth Great Shinobi War had been over for a year and since that time she had made jouinin rank. Her feelings for Naruto had gone unacknowledged, and slowly but surely this last year had helped heal her heart. She was no longer living at the compound, she had fought long and hard for the right to live in an apartment. Everything in her life was looking up, well until yesterday that was. She reminded herself again that she was stronger now, and that she was here to demand answers. She jumped a little with fright as she heard the Hokage invite her in.<p>

"What is it that you need Hinata?" Tsunade asked with disinterest.

"I need a… answers Hokage-sama." The Hyuuga rapidly losing faith in herself almost whispered.

"About what?" Tsunade answered innocently with an evil sparkle appearing in her eye. This hadn't taken as long as she thought. _Damn, I lost another bet. _She realized in annoyance.

"I think it should be… o… obvious Hokage-sama." Hinata stutter, not sure she had the nerve for this anymore.

"Hinata." Tsunade sighed. "Do you know who I am?"

"You are the Hokage of our village of course."

"Exactly so do you think I can remember what precisely is going on with every ninja in my village at all time?"

"Well no, I don't expect that, but I just thought…"

"You just thought you were more important? Being an heiress makes you important to the Hyuuga, here you are nothing but a ninja."

"That's not exactly what I meant…"

"I am not here to baby you Ms. Hyuuga so are you going to speak up or are you going to walk out that door and quit wasting my time?" Tsunade rudely interrupted again. "I have other things besides this pointless guessing game that could use my time."

"Now wait a second." Hinata said a little louder. She was getting irritated at the situation and the Hokage.

"I just explained this I don't feel like it if you have nothing of importance to be doing here." Tsunade sighed acting completely bored.

"Fine! Why have I been taken off the active roster?" She almost yelled.

"Finally!" The Hokage exclaimed with a smile. "I was wondering how long it would take to get a little fire boiling in you."

"What?"

"You will not be leaving on a mission for the time of at least one month."

"What!" Hinata actually screeched. She wouldn't be able to float her bills with no pay and she did not want to end up going back to the compound. "How are you expecting me to live?"

"Wow. I am pleasantly surprised. The little Hyuuga does have limits. You will not be going without pay for the span of a month."

"How is that possible?"

"You have a personal mission right here inside of the village."

"Okay?" Hinata was completely lost on this entire scenario. She had screamed at the Hokage and got a smile in return and now she was being paid to stay home. She had no idea what this could all mean.

"Hinata, you are a kunoichi are you not?"

"I am." Hinata said with pride.

"As kunoichi we have different standards than that of shinobi right?"

"It is true. As women we have different vulnerabilities, but also different strengths."

"Exactly I need you to begin to work on those strengths. I need you to focus on training yourself in the areas of kunoichi life that vary from the battlefield."

"And what exactly does that entail Hokage?"

"Hinata you are not simply a very talented kunoichi. You are also a very beautiful woman, and as leader of this village I need to be able to harness all the resources within my reach. One such resource is you."

"What does beauty have to do with being a kunoichi?"

"Hinata you are not so naïve to not understand. Sakura, Ino, Tenten have all been on recon missions that only women could complete." Hinata's eyes widened in understanding.

"B-but, Hokage-sama… there… there is n-no w-way I… I c-could go on t-t-those kind of m-m-m-missions." Hinata stammered and stutter as she tried to understand why the Hokage would even suggest that kind of a mission to her. She was nowhere near capable of executing a recon mission like that.

"Exactly, Hinata you mission for the next month is to train yourself in genjutsu to cover your eyes and in the art of seduction." Hinata went so pale that Tsunade was surprised she wasn't translucent. "Hinata breathe, and look at me. I know that you and the other girls are all very close now and I know that you know that you will not be pushed too far in these missions. I just need to gain self-confidence and possibly a boyfriend. I know you have gotten over your romantic feelings for Naruto and that is why I have only began to push this. If it wasn't for the pain you were going through over the last year then you would have started this training mission much sooner."

"Yes, Hokage-sama." Hinata said conceding to the Hokage's will. She knew that the only thing arguing would do would be to upset the Hokage.

"I have also already informed Kurenai of the situation and she has agreed to help you begin the training process. She will ease you in to this for the next two weeks and after that I suggest talking to your girlfriends that is what they are there for." With that Tsunade handed the still shocked young woman a scroll and absently waved her out of her office.

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><p>Hinata was still staring off absently into space when Naruto tapped her on the shoulder. Hinata jumped and let out a startled gasp.<p>

"Whoa, Hina-chan why so jumpy?"

"Oh, hello Naruto-kun. I was just zoned out I am sorry." Hinata said with a sigh of relief. She was scared that it would be Kurenai and she wasn't ready to face this issue, yet.

"Well I'm glad I found I ran into Kurenai-sensei early and she said if I found you to tell you that she would be at training ground 8 at seven p.m. and not to be late, because she was paying a baby-sitter to be there for you."

"Darn, alright Naruto-kun thanks. What time is it now?"

"It's only 6:30 so you've got some time. Want to have some ramen with me before you go?"

"No thanks maybe another time Naruto-kun, I have some things I need to get ready before training tonight." With that Hinata raced off leaving Naruto to shrug and head off to ramen alone.

_Okay, Hinata there is no getting out of this. So you have to embrace this training and take it seriously. First things first let's make this the least amount of uncomfortable with Kurenai-sensei as possible. _Hinata internally tried to push herself into bravery as she raced home to get some things to show her former, and now current again, sensei.

It was five-'til-eight when Hinata arrived at the training ground and she sighed with relief when she saw that Kurenai was already at the grounds as well. She didn't give her a chance to lose her nerve as she walked swiftly up to her sensei.

"Kurenai-sensei I don't want this process to be any more difficult than need be." Hinata said with determination. Kurenai turned to Hinata with a slightly curious look in her eyes. "So I want you to understand that I know some of what Tsunade-sama is talking about."

"That is good Hinata, but slow down…." Hinata didn't hear her sensei as she began pulling of her back pack.

"I would like to skip as much of the introduction speech as possible so I brought these." Hinata said no longer looking at her sensei and dumping the contents of her bag on the ground.

"Oh my goodness Hinata." Kurenai gasped with slight shock.

"I know it isn't a good trait, but at least now you know that I know plenty of the words that go with seduction."

"I see that you and Kakashi have something in common. Wouldn't have guessed that." Hinata stiffened as a hard to recognize male voice spoke up behind her. All of the sudden she clutched her chest, because she could no longer breathe. She couldn't hear anything over the sound of her racing heart and the embarrassment screaming doubts through her head.

"Hinata calm down." Kurenai tried to say soothingly as she grabbed the shoulders of the young woman she had been in charge of since she was twelve. "Shit, BREATHE!" Hinata finally gasped for air. "Genma you couldn't have kept your mouth shut just this once?" Kurenai admonished. "Hinata, keep breathing." Kurenai said as an after thought as she bent down to pick up the back pack and fill it back up with all the romance novels now littering the ground in front of her feet.

"Kurenai please tell me a man did not just see all those?" Hinata whispered as she almost pleaded with her sensei to lie to her.

"Hinata, yes Genma-san saw your collection, but do not worry he already knows about the special training that you are here for. He is actually here to help me with training you."

"Why?" Hinata cried. She dropped her head in her hands.

"Well I tried to tell you to slow down." Kurenai sighed standing back up to hand her student her back pack. "Basically, I am not ready to go there yet either." She gestured to the back pack. "So we are going to start with a few options of ways to overtly hide weapons in ways that are hard to notice."

Hinata sighed as she turned around to face the object of her short panic attack. _I can totally survive this. Embarrassment doesn't kill you have learned that the hard way, remember? _"Hello, Genma-san." Hinata said slowly bowing slightly to the man.

"Oh please Kami don't bow to me and Genma works just fine. I feel like I know you well enough already." He laughed as Hinata went red.

"Okay, Hinata." Kurenai interrupted. "Let's start with Genma's reason for being here hair accessories." She said with a clap of her hands. "He's the most advanced senbon user in the village." Kurenai chuckled as Hinata looked between the two of them with a quizzical look.

"Oh okay." Kurenai quickly went to work twisting Hinata's hair up and placing senbons in it to hold it in place. Hinata was surprised when Kurenai handed her a mirror to show case the effect of the senbon hairstyle.

"I want you to keep this set of senbon and try practicing doing this yourself every day for the next month until you can do it within fifteen minutes, and remember you can ask any of your friends to help you if you can't figure it out for yourself." Hinata simply nodded as Kurenai told her it was time for her to leave.

"What I thought you were training me in this process?"

"I am, but you can't get a better senbon trainer than Genma and my hour is up. I got a child waiting for me remember Godmother?" Kurenai stated simply. Hinata nodded again feeling guilty for being nervous when Kurenai should be home with her son. "I leave her in your hands Genma." She waved to both of them and then was gone.

"Okay, before we work on getting them out of your hair, we'll start with a basic throwing lesson." Hinata nodded and followed Genma to the targets he had set up while Kurenai was doing her hair. Hinata appreciated his uncaring demeanor it made the situation much easier to deal with and she started to ease up.

Genma started by showing her the best ways to hold a senbon and the most effective ways to guide one when throwing it. He couldn't help, but be slightly impressed at how well she listened and how quickly she picked up the lesson. Also, besides the mental lashing he kept giving himself he was impressed by how well she pulled of the hair style. He knew he had seen more complicated ways of putting your hair up with the senbon but the loose bun with six senbon in it really looked good on the girl.

"So like this Genma-san." Hinata asked throwing another senbon and hitting the bull's eye again flawlessly.

"Please drop that horrific and then it would have been the perfect shot." Hinata rolled her eyes they had been training for an hour already and she was hitting the target perfectly or almost perfectly pretty consistently now. Genma decided that it was enough training for the day. "Well Hinata, I think that you are exceeding Kurenai's expectations as well as mine. Let's call it a night shall we." He said as he walked over to help her retrieve her senbon.

"That would be fine Genma-s… Genma. I need a good drink anyways." Genma almost dropped the senbon in his hand in shock. "Something wrong?" Hinata asked him as she took the senbon from him.

"No, you just shocked me for the third time today that is all." He said with a shrug as they walked out of the training field. Hinata didn't ask what the surprises of the day were as she blushed figuring at least the first one was too embarrassing to acknowledge again. "Hinata you need to practice the senbon for at least 30 minutes a day if you plan on getting off this forced leave in a month."

"Okay I definitely will practice an hour a day then. Thank you for the training Genma." She smiled at him before quickly racing off in the direction of down town.

"Tomor…" Genma started before he realized she was already out of ear shot. He shrugged smiling to himself as he realized that if he wanted to train her again tomorrow then he was going to either have to hunt her down tonight or tomorrow. He shrugged. He wasn't in a drinking mood so tomorrow would be soon enough. The poor girl need an emotional break for the day any ways. He shook his head as he thought the Hokage crazy for trying to get this girl ready for a recon mission in only a short time. "There is no way that girl will become a seduction expert in that time frame." He chuckled.

"Who's a seduction flunky?" Kakashi asked appearing beside Genma in the street.

"Hinata Hyuuga."

"The shy stuttering Hyuuga?"

"Yep, it seems Tsunade has put her into a seduction crash course. I was recruited to train her with the senbon by Kurenai."

"Well how'd that part of it go, since I already got the seduction jist of it?"

"She's a natural with it, and the senbon hairstyle doesn't look out of place on her like it doe on most." Kakashi only nodded and Genma could tell the odd man was scheming. "Don't get involved with her seduction training Kakashi she just started today."

"I wasn't going to involve myself." Genma gave him a sideways look. "Or anyone else. I was just thinking that I understood Tsunade's point of view of once." It was a shocked look he got this time. "Hinata is naturally attractive even in baggy clothes and sans make-up. She has medic training and she is an expert at gentle fist. Both jutsu can be deadly when used right and they both take very little time accomplish their outcomes. Then add in the Byakugan add she becomes an incredibly valuable resource to utilize for recon missions and naturally she is valuable for seduction. Only she needs the confidence to apply her natural weapons to a mission." Genma nodded slightly in understanding. He also felt uneasy about calling Hinata a resource, but he silently buried then deep within himself. Genma turned to head to his apartment and wasn't surprised when the Copy-nin disappeared. They had been friends to long for Genma not to be use to Kakashi's curiosity getting the best of him and then the man simply disappearing again.

As Genma reach his apartment his mind wondered back to all the books lying on the ground at Hinata's feet. He could have hung back longer, but when an opportunity as priceless as that arises he just never seemed to have the self-restraint to not say anything. He had almost felt bad when the girl almost fainted, but she had proved to recover better than he had expected.

Across town Hinata was well on her way through her third bottle of sake when Ino sat down on the bar stool beside her. Hinata silently slid the bottle between them. Ino silently responded by pouring herself a shot. It went without saying that they both were having a bad day. None of the four kounochi ever went to the bar alone unless it was solely to drink as much as they could humanly manage. They both sat silent through two more bottles.

"It's your turn to rant first." Ino offered.

"Only because I rarely have anything to rant about." Hinata chuckled lightly as Ino stuck out her tongue. "Tsunade took me off the active roster so that I can spend the next month working on my seduction ability for recon missions."

"Whoa, that's got to being driving you nuts. Did you start the training today?"

"Yeah, but I also only found out today." Hinata said as she pointed to her hair. "I'm going to need you to teach me how to do this, because I have to take this seriously and she said I could get help from you girls."

"Well then who did your hair?"

"Kurenai, she's my sensei in this, but only for the next two weeks. Right now I'm learning the art of the senbon from Shiranui Genma."

"Well that's definitely an easy place to start, but if Kurenai didn't do anything other than set you up to train with Genma do you think she's any more comfortable with this than you?"

"No, you should have seen her face when I showed her my romance novels in hopes of skipping a lecture about what I needed the training for." Ino chocked on her sake as she laughed. "Oh it gets better I was so nervous I dropped a whole back pack full at her feet and just after I explained that I knew what the training would entail. At that exact moment Genma spoke up to state the unknown common factor with Kakashi that I had." At that Ino laughed so hard she had to grab her ribs and wipe the tears from her eyes. Hinata glared.

"I'm not laughing at you exactly, but Hinata you are the only person I know of that ends up with stories like that. No one else is that unlucky."

"I know." She groaned dropping her head on the bar. "What went wrong with your day?" She asked hoping to divert attention from herself.

"I was informed today that my personal life is going to take a serious hit after the next academy graduation." It was Hinata's turn to choke, but she wasn't laughing.

"They're going to trust you with children?" It was the only thing she could think, but as soon as the words left her mouth she realized she had completely been tactless.

"Yeah, I know I am so disappointed." Hinata sighed in relief as Ino took no offense. "Why am I getting stuck with a genin team? I don't want to have to watch over a bunch of brats." She wailed. "How am I going to date with a bunch of annoying kids around? We all sucked as genin you know. I don't want to deal with a tiny whiny girl, a blonde with way too much energy, an extreme over eater, or even a twelve year old who has my ego! They're going to make me get gray hair." Hinata laughed as Ino even refused to be in charge of someone like herself.

"You get a quiet shy girl like me. Though that's probably not good either. A girl like I use to be would kill over at some of your antics." Hinata chuckled.

"Oh crap not only do I have to keep others from killing the brats, now I've got to worry that I might kill one."

"What about your clothes those pervy boys will have a hay day with you. You know like a miniature Kiba."

"No. I refuse to accept that kind of kid." Ino wailed again it was her turn to drop her head. "I have got to come up with an unbeatable team test." She said with a burst of enthusiasm. "I'll just have to talk to the old team Kakashi members and Kakashi himself. Problem solved!" Ino thrust her fist towards the ceiling signaling her awesome fix to her problem. Hinata lightly chuckled again. "So back to fixing your issue. How long did you say you have again?" It didn't bewilder Hinata any more at how fast Ino could switch topics or moods.

"I've got one month before I can even attempt to go back on the active roster."

"Well we'll start with a lesson in senbon hair styles after I teach you that one tomorrow afternoon. It's easy it won't take you long to figure out at all. You're going to need a shopping trip too. Are you allowed mission expenses on this?"

"I have no idea I was so frustrated and then bewildered I didn't ask, but I was told I'm getting B-ranked mission pay. I think it's because Tsunade knows I just moved out on my  
>own to be honest. I'll find out before we meet up tomorrow."<p>

"You girls need another bottle?" The bartender interrupted. Both girls nodded and Ino took her turn paying for this one. Hinata shot a burst of chakra through her system to burn up some of the alcohol in her system. It was one of the perks of being medic trained you learned how to sober up quickly if called out for an emergency.

The girls spent the rest of their evening chatting about their various life issues of the day and then a fair amount of time was spent on Ino's dating life. Hinata never could understand how Ino could even keep up with all the guys she had let take her out to dinner. Where did the girl find all the time she always wondered, but she guessed that you always found time for the things you wanted to do. Hinata took the opportunity to chat Ino up about the latest shinobi gossip. She was surprised by some of the new couples, and was more surprised by the couple break ups that had happened.

"So, I have a boy question for you?" Ino suddenly asked just as they were getting up to head home.

"What's that?" Hinata asked breezily as she had left herself a little tipsy.

"How's everything going for you on the boy front?"

"I don't understand what you mean."

"You know, how's the dealing with Naruto going?"

"I am soo over it I can't even believe it sometimes." She giggled and spun around.

"Really? Any new interest then?" Ino asked. Shocked that the girl could so easily brush off the Naruto situation. Ino could still remember not that long ago having a tipsy Hinata crying, because giving up hurt more than being ignored.

"You know I hate to say it after the day I had, but that senbon teacher is pretty cute, and you know I think my type has gone in the opposite since getting over my childhood crush. I am totally digging the quiet and mysterious thing."

"Like Kakashi?"

"Yeah, exactly he gives off this air like no one is good enough to break through to his heart. It gives me chills."

"What?!" Ino laughingly exclaimed.

"What it's not like I want to jump his bones per say, but sometimes there are people, not Kakashi, that give off that same air and I get the urge to put myself to the test." Ino laughed.

"You have decided you like the hard to get? I'm glad I didn't have you as competition for Sasuke back then."

"Oh goodness, it is like Sasuke!" Hinata stopped in the middle of the road. "I am so glad I learned this without ever getting sucked into that disappointing fandom." Hinata faked a shiver. Ino simply held up her middle finger as she kept walking. Hinata laughed as she jogged to keep up.

"Despite your rudeness I am really happy that your heart has mended." She smiled.

"It has with a lot of help from you." Hinata said bumping her shoulder into Ino's. "Your encouraging words really helped. You were the only one willingly to share how you had felt and how you moved on." The girls hugged as they realized they were already at Ino's apartment. "See ya tomorrow." They waved and Hinata feeling a million times better skipped home.

Genma was still lying awake in his bed as he heard the person in the apartment above him get home. He chuckled to himself when heard the stumbles to reach the bed. He of only a few reasons a person would be stumbling to get to bed at this time of night, or well morning. It reminded him that Hinata had said she was going drinking. He took a moment to let himself sense the chakra above him, wondering if he'd be that lucky. It didn't take long and he learned he wasn't that lucky. He did get the feeling that he should know the chakra though, so he had at least met the person before.

He grumbled to himself as he rolled over yet again. He apparently needed a good drunk night too. It had not been his week either. His team had failed a mission, his friend was in the hospital, and then he was in charge of training a very unique kunoichi that was invading his extra brain space right now. How was a man like him supposed to teach her to be sexy while killing someone, she was so damn naïve. Why had Kurenai roped him into this? He cursed Kurenai as he drifted off to sleep.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: **I didn't mean for this chapter to take so long, but I end up changing my mind about a lot of things and rewriting the entire thing. I hope you all enjoy this chapter, and chapter three won't take so long to come out, I promise.

I thank those of you who reviewed and followed this story. Thank You So Much! I'll try not to let you down.

~Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, I can not draw... I will never create a manga. *pout*~

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><p>Hinata woke groggily and held her hand limply against her forehead as she stared at the clock. She shuffled to the kitchen to get a drink of water to rehydrate. She then half-heartedly shuffled through her morning routine. She felt a little better after her shower. She stared into her mirror at herself. She couldn't find a single thing that would make the hokage think she was equipped for the missions she was training for. She was already close to mental exhaustion just thinking about everything she had to do for the training.<p>

"I can't just sit around and stress. No better time than the present to go through a transformation anyways, I guess." She said trying to encourage herself. "You are a Hyuuga you can do this!" She was startled a knock on her door. "How does Ino recover so quickly from a night out drinking, seriously?" She grumbled as she went to her door. "Please don't give me the over excited voice okay, it's still early."

"Uh, umm wow so you do own other clothes." Genma blurted the first thought that came to mind. "I'm sorry please don't faint okay." He rushed as he saw the red burst into Hinata's cheeks.

"W-why are you here!" She exclaimed as she tried fruitlessly to pull down her take top over her shorts, while also trying not to show off her breast.

"I came by to say I was free later this afternoon if you wanted to train again that's all." He rushed out.

"I have plans to go shopping for new clothes with Ino later!"

"Quit fidgeting so much you are making it so much worse! I'm leaving find me later if you have time to train." Genma was quickly gone from sight. Before her door could slam shut it was caught by a pale slender hand.

"Hey Hina-chan do you know what has got Genma running away from your apartment?" Ino asked cheerily as she took in the sight of a tomato colored Hinata. "Did you open the door?" She was answered by a nod. "Like that?" Another nod. "And then you pulled down the top to cover the shorts?" A sigh and a nod. Ino burst into a fit of laughter. "Oh m-my Kami!" She said between giggles. "You stood in front of him exposing a lot of cleavage while also drawing attention to your legs. You are just way to amusing!"

"It is not funny Ino!"

"Come on Hinata, don't be so upset. You should at least feel a little more confident about your body."

"What part of that situation is supposed to make feel better about myself?"

"It takes a lot to make a man just as flustered as you get, and that grown man was even more flustered than you."

"Your reasoning is completely missing me here." Hinata said with a little curiosity.

"The amount of embarrassment you're capable of is more than the average, and Genma rumored play-boy was blushing, and straight-up running away." Ino sighed as she saw the still puzzled look on her naïve friend's face. "He was embarrassed too. Hinata he was just as shocked and embarrassed to see you in that little clothing as you were for him to see it."

"So?"

"Think about all your romance novels. When do the men ever get embarrassed like that?

"When they've been thinking about it, or when they realize they're paying more attention than they should be."

"So, either Genma had been absently wondering if you'd being showing up in skimpy bed clothes or, while talking to he realized he couldn't take his eyes off your body. He had either realized you're very attractive or he just learned it."

"Ah, so either way he ran away because I am desirable!" Hinata pumped her fist in joy. "Maybe I can beat the Hokage at her game yet!" Ino laughed at the extreme change in Hinata's attitude. "Let's go get some new clothes!"

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><p>"Damn… it" Genma gasped falling with his back against a tree.<p>

"Damn it what exactly?" Kakashi asked. Genma looked up to the branch above him.

"Damn it!" Genma exclaimed stomping away.

"I'm guessing that one was directed towards your luck at resting against the tree I was in, but what was the first one."

"Buzz off Kakashi." Genma told his friend in irritation.

"You know my curiosity won't allow me to do that after you've avoided the question twice now."

"I would really rather not tell you."

"I will not leave you alone until you tell me. I have nothing else to do it today, I'm bored. Humor me." Kakashi said with an eye crinkle.

"Well at least I'm not the only one in for a long day then."

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><p>"Oh my, Hinata that dress is beautiful on you!" Ino clapped her hands.<p>

"You really think so? Do other kunoichi really wear things like this on missions?"

"Yes! Look the slit seems high to you but it gives you a better range of motion, the decorative looking strap of fabric over your shoulder actually doubles as a weapon holster if need be, and the pink really looks great with your skin and eye color."

"Practical and useful, huh."

"We are ninja, our body is simply another weapon at our disposal."

"Ino don't these kind of missions ever get to you? You do more of them than anyone else."

"I won't lie to you Hinata." Ino sighed. "I have had a couple of the missions get a little out of hand, but never to extreme. Sometimes they aren't so bad, but usually seduction missions are used as a last resort. This means that more often than not the target is a real bad person, evil even. It is really hard to act like the stories of murder, and rape don't make your stomach turn upside down. You have to act as if you're attracted to a person who has a look in their eyes that makes you feel cold inside. You have to act as if you understand that dead, cold look. You have to put your lips on a person with a dead soul, and act like you like it. It's not fun. It is a mission that will test personal limits more than any other mission you have ever been on."

"Ino I don't know if I am strong enough for all that?" Hinata said as her eyes filled with tears.

"Don't you dare cry for me!" Ino demanded. "I am a shinobi it is my duty to protect this village from all sorts of evil, and it reminds just what evil there is to protect it from." Hinata nod while quickly wiping away the tears.

"I will definitely try my best to get through this training then! I will help take some of that burden away from you, so we can protect this village together."

"There you go, now buy that dress and put it on the Hokage's tab!"

"Oh darn, I forgot to ask her about that." Hinata suddenly remembered. Ino sighed.

"Go take the dress off and I'll go put it on her tab."

"You can't do that we don't know if I'm allowed."

"She put you on this mission and this is required training material. She told you to ask me right? I'm deeming this required material, and you have to wear it to the training later." Ino added with a slightly evil smirk.

"What training?"

"With one Shiranui Genma, you did say that's why he stopped by right?" Hinata went pale.

"Ino I can't face him yet." She whispered. "It would be much to embarrassing, especially in this."

"You can and you will it's an order as a person trusted with advising you in the art of seduction." Ino smiled. "Now pay for the dress and let's go grab some lunch." Hinata quietly paid for the dress and Ino couldn't help, but giggled when she walked out into the street still wearing it.

_Two Blocks Later…._

"Ino! You let me walk out in it!"

"You know it is not my fault that you were to lost in thought to notice it." Hinata looked around frantically looking for a place to change. "You've already walked half way the restaurant in it why not just keep it up and get comfortable wearing it." Ino offered softly with a comforting smile. Hinata stared at her still looking panicky.

"What if someone sees me?"

"Two blocks worth of people already have, and not a single man missed it I promise."

"Ino!"

"What they were checking you out embrace it and learn how to use it against them. You're a beauty, don't doubt that okay."

"Fine I'll keep it on."

* * *

><p>"So back to this morning what was the damn it about?"<p>

"You're turn to pay right?" Genma smirked as Kakashi took on a crest fallen look.

"If I ran out you would disappear wouldn't you?"

"You bet your ass I would." He answered leaning back against the booth.

"Alright, I'll pay then." Kakashi shrugged and laid a few bills out on the table. He really needed to get a hobby his boredom was starting to cost him money.

"What?" Genma stared at the money. "You are willing to pay to get this information?"

"Yep." Kakashi shrugged with an eye crinkle.

"Well since were going to be spending the day together why don't we get some training in."

"A sparring session then?" Genma nodded replacing his senbon and shoving his hands in his pockets as he left the building.

* * *

><p>"T-this is the t-training field we u-used last time, so l-let's start h-here." Hinata stuttered through her increasing unease.<p>

"Alright I'm with you." Ino nodded. "You're freaking out so bad I won't leave you by yourself this session okay."

"Thank you Ino." She sighed already feeling some of the weight lift off her shoulders.

"Now back on topic. What exactly about the mysterious type has become so appealing?"

"Well it's just that you know once you get him hooked he will be faithful, and that you will always know more about him than the people outside your relationship."

"You romanticizes everything don't you?" Ino laughed.

"Well why do you like straightforward men then?"

"Damn…. it" Genma whispered

"They're not paying much attention are they?" Kakashi whispered back. "Hey was that what the damn it and the running was about this morning, that little Hyuuga girl?"

"Shut up Kakashi." Genma snapped.

"Well that dress does give me a new appreciation for her, and new hatred of her jacket."

"She was wearing less this morning." Genma grumbled.

"Oh?"

"It was a tank top and really short shorts, and she kept pulling the top down. I have to get down I told her I would train with her today. You can go now."

"It doesn't look like he's here Hinata." Ino beamed.

"I'm here." Genma nodded as Kakashi drew the attention to them.

"Oh, Kakashi just the sensei I was needing to talk to!" Ino exclaimed.

"What a not so subtle was to get them alone Ino." Kakashi chuckled.

"What?" Ino looked at Hinata and then back at Kakashi. "Oh crap, no Hinata I am not doing that. Kakashi I need to know what your genin test was, I want to fail my students too." Hinata was finally able to breathe as she remembered Ino's own problem.

"Oh, alright but why."

"They want to give me a team, and I don't want one." Kakashi chuckled. As Ino walked up to him he could see the desperation in her eyes. "So can you explain what you did to me?"

"Why don't you ask Sakura?" Kakashi said walking off towards the trees while grabbing out his book. Ino followed closely behind begging for information.

"G-Genma, a-about this m-morning." Hinata stuttered.

"Don't worry about it I was just a little surprised, no big deal." He waved a hand dismissively. Hinata nodded weakly. "Ready to get started?" Hinata nodded quietly again. Genma gave a longing look at Kakashi. He wished he could be getting hounded by the loud blonde instead right now.

Ino yelped as a ninja star flew past her face and embedded it's self in a tree trimming off a few strands of Kakashi's hair in the process. "Ino, you said you want to train with Genma also, didn't you?" Hinata asked sweetly twirling another star around her finger. The blonde spun around and ran back to them.

"Yes, yes I did." Kakashi chuckled to himself as he made a mental not that the shy, quiet kunoichi could actually be very deadly. "Since I was only temporarily preoccupied, would you please stop trying to cut my hair with those! We all get irritated, but you could just learn to yell like a normal person you know!" Hinata only shrugged as they followed Genma to the target area.

* * *

><p>"Ino you're still worrying more about force than you are placement." Genma sighed as he tried to explain this to the blonde again.<p>

"Ino," Hinata interrupted him. "The senbon are needles, they don't need the so much weight from your hand behind them. A needle is designed to be slim and sharp. It glides through air and skin without as much force as a throwing star." Hinata tried to explain to her friend in her own words.

"It's just so different from what I'm used to." The pale blonde whined to her friend. As Genma sighed again from the tree he was sitting beside.

"Who would have thought that the princess is actually deadlier than Yamanaka?" Kakashi mused out loud.

"Me, well since yesterday that is." Genma responded. "She learned the senbon so easily. It's like it was always just waiting for her to find it. She won't need me around for long." He smiled.

"Speaking of you being around her…" Kakashi asked with a sneaky tone. "How was this morning's show?"

"I didn't see a thing other than cleavage you perv."

"You couldn't look past her cleavage and I'm the pervert here?"

"Not what I meant at all." Genma sighed. "Ino, seriously are you even trying at this point?"

"Bite me Shiranui!" Ino stomped her foot and yelled.

"You are not helping Genma." Hinata scolded. "I'll show you again watch me." Hinata quickly pulled out a senbon and placed it between her fingers and with a flick of her wrist it embedded in the bulls-eye. She then brought out three and placed them between her fingers and sent all three into the three different targets. "It's not about the force Ino it's all about the quick and smooth motion." Ino tried again once again barely hitting the target, but embedding the senbon all the way into the wood. Hinata laughed as Ino stomped her foot and yelled at the weapon. "Hey, look at it this way. Maybe it's just Kami's way of letting me be better than you at something."

"Whatever I am giving this weapon up for now." Ino sighed. "We've been here from five hours and the only thing I have accomplished is destroying the bottom half of that paper target. I am not made to use a senbon, but Hinata you seem like a natural."

"She kind of is a natural. It's only her second day. We can't all be great everything Ino." Kakashi piped up.

"Yes, like how some of us are completely incapable of helping other people get out of being a sensei." Ino shot back.

"Exactly like that." Kakashi said with an exaggerated eye crinkle and head tilt. Hinata and Genma both chuckled.

"I'm going home." Ino said as she ground her teeth. "Today has not been my day."

"If you wait for me to pick up my senbon I'll walk that way with you." Hinata offered as she rushed over. To start collecting her set.

"It's okay Hinata, I'll walk her home." Kakashi said. "Plus I'm sure if I don't break her down today she'll hound me for weeks to come."

"I won't give up that easily Kakashi-sensei!" Ino vowed as she followed after the leaving jounin.

"It's already pretty dark why don't I go ahead and walk you home to Hinata?" Genma asked nonchalantly.

"U-um… you know it would probably be smarter if you walked Ino home. She says you live the same building. So just go with them. I can handle myself I am a kunoichi, you know."

"I'm a ninja too, but that doesn't mean I don't have manners. It is only polite for me to walk you home." He said with a friendly smile.

"You're right." Hinata sighed. "Plus, I have a few questions for you anyways." Genma stiffened. _Please, let these questions be of a wholesome nature no matter how unlikely that maybe, _He silently pleaded.

The pair walked for a while in silence, and part of Genma was almost convinced she had decided he was not the right person to ask. Just as his hopes had started to build he glanced at her and saw her blushing. He watched as she opened and shut her mouth without a sounded. _So much for wholesome, _He sighed.

"Just spit it out. I am kind of training you for this too, you know." He forced himself to tell her, but he wouldn't look at her.

"Okay, I'm asking because you know the entirety of my situation." She started and then paused again before continuing. "Say a girl, and yes roll with the hypothetical it makes it easier, so say a girl was completely and I do mean completely unsure of anything past a simple sweet kiss. How does that girl go about finding someone to teach her, and not break her heart?"

"Well….." Genma's thoughts instantly went to places where he shouldn't allow them to, and everything was telling him to offer himself up. "That's a tricky question." He had to find a different segment of his brain, one section that wasn't completely and wholly tainted with perversion would be great right now. "Ah, got it. She doesn't."

"What?" Hinata cried.

"Hinata, you're…" He was stopped in his tracks by an icy glare. "Okay, sorry. She won't find anything like that as long as she believes her heart is capable of getting broke by the situation." Her eyebrows rose in confusion. "Just stay with me here. If she was to go into a training of the physical nature and let herself believe it was anything more than learning the physical mechanics of the human body, then that girl is setting herself up to be broken. If she let a man place his lips, his hands, and maybe even more on her and constantly reminded herself that it was only a learning experience then maybe she'd get out unscathed. I say maybe, because the heart sometimes is a horrible listener."

"Ah, so if I went at it expecting anything more than a training session I would be leaving myself vulnerable." She sighed. "I don't know what I'm going to do."

"I don't know either. On everything else though you are doing really well. If that makes you feel any better." Genma nudges her with his elbow.

"Not really. I don't know why I am even stuck in this situation." She mumbled. Genma shrugged as they fell into silence. It wasn't long before they were at Hinata's building, but when Genma slowed and she showed no signs of noticing where they were he took them around the block. On the third trip around her block Hinata's mood suddenly shifted. "I can't give up though." She said smiling up at Genma. "I have to work hard so that I can prove myself as a ninja." Genma smirked back down at her.

"That's right and were here." He stopped motioning to her building.

"Oh, oh my gosh I didn't even notice we were getting close. Thank you Genma. I feel a little better about my training." Hinata waved as she walked to her building. Genma was turning around to head back towards his place when she ran back up to him. "When are we going to train next, I figured it's safer to ask now."

"Just come find me when you have a chance to train." Genma laughed. "I won't embarrass you like that again I promise." Hinata breathed a sigh of relief.

"Okay, I'll probably find you within the next couple of days. Being taken off the active roster has given me a lot of free time." She lightly chuckled as they parted ways.

He watched her go into her building out of the corner of his eye. She was really a confusing girl. One minute she couldn't talk without stuttering and then the next she was asking how to learn about sex. He didn't like not understanding things and so here was again with his thoughts all revolving around her. "I need a drink." He sighed.

* * *

><p>Half an hour later Genma was joined at the bar by his most annoyingly patient friend. Genma didn't even give the masked man the benefit of sideways glance. They sat in silence for another 15 minutes as Genma continued taking shots of sake. He didn't know if it was because the Yamanaka girl had exhausted him, or if the man was trying to judge how well his jokes would go over right now.<p>

"So, have you drank away your perversion yet?" Kakashi asked feigning concern.

"You ask me that, while sitting there reading that book?" Genma gestured to the smutty novel in Kakashi's hands.

"I'm not trying to stifle my perversions, you are the only one here doing that. I embrace who I am, and you are trying to drink it away. It is a completely different situation."

"I am not trying to drink away anything about myself, it's just everything about her I'm trying to get rid of."

"Why exactly?" Kakashi asked setting down the book.

"She's not like our normal Kakashi."

"Which means what exactly?" Kakashi asked.

"She's not just out looking for a one night stand. She's not even sure what she wants from a man. She's sweet and calm. She's a virgin for Kami's Sake." Genma sighed in exasperation.

"Quick question. How the hell do you know that?" Kakashi put his book back in its pouch and turned towards Genma in interest.

"A hypothetical situation."

"You know I hate those, please let's not."

"Not now you idiot, she asked me a question in a hypothetical situation and asked how a girl would learn if all she knew were simple childlike kisses. She's not even fully an adult." He ordered another bottle of sake.

"Oh…. Yeah leave that one alone. I'll be your wingman for the night. Go relieve some sexual tension my friend." Kakashi patted him on the back. Then turned and leaned his back against the bar. "Hey look isn't that the little blondie from the weapons shop?" He tapped Genma on the shoulder. "You know she's always way nicer to you than me. Come on buddy she wouldn't take a lot to take home. You won't even have to seduce her. Let's play some darts and she'll come to you." Genma sighed.

"I would really rather not tonight Kakashi."

"As your friend I am going to annoyingly push you into this, because it is in my opinion that you need this."

"Whatever, let's play darts."

* * *

><p>Hinata had barely made it home when TenTen had burst in through her front door. Hinata barely avoided her upturned hands with four senbon.<p>

"Wow, you have really gotten good with those. Scary good." TenTen laughed.

"Don't you know to knock on a ninja's door? Are you crazy?" Hinata scolded.

"Come on, I bring gifts!" TenTen said raising her hands to show the four clothing bags she held in them. "I had Neji ask around the compound and he found your size. With that information I have now compiled ten different outfit options suitable for your current mission. Before you ask yes, Ino told me everything." Hinata sighed and motioned TenTen to follow her to the bedroom.

"Show me what you've got."

"Only one condition first."

"What?"

"If I do show you all these things then you have to wear one of them out tonight with me."

"I already wore a trampy outfit out and about once today." Hinata said motioning to her current outfit.

"So let's show them another one, and really shock someone!" TenTen grabbed her hands in a pleading style.

"If I decline?"

"I will tell Neji that I found these in your drawer and that's why my services were rejected." TenTen said holding up a few pieces of string.

"What are those exactly?" Hinata asked laying down sideways on her bed and looking at TenTen.

"Crotchless panties." TenTen said with an evil smirk.

"Where did you even get those?" Hinata gaped at her.

"I have my ways, so ready to see your options?"

"Fine, but I am tired so I'm not drinking too much. I am also going to take a shower before going anywhere."

"Terms accepted, now have an open mind." TenTen warned her as she started searching through the bags.

* * *

><p>An hour and half later and the girls were finally walking into the bar. <em>I might become an alcoholic if this becomes a habit. <em>Hinata absently thought to herself as TenTen laughed at whatever story she was telling Hinata. When they swung the door open they were instantly met with the back of a man. They both stopped for a second and stared as he raised one hand that held a dart and then threw the dart.

"Told you it would be a breeze." The man cheered for himself. "Now don't you know me a kiss beautiful?" He purred to the girl next to him. TenTen laughed as Hinata felt her spine stiffen.

"I don't this fool has even noticed us yet." TenTen giggled to Hinata as the man bent down to a woman with blonde hair.

"Genma. Would you please move." Hinata tried to ask. TenTen glanced at her in confusion.

"You know him?"

"Yeah. Genma! You're in the way!" Hinata yelled over the crowd and to her annoyance she felt a slight stirring of some kind of unhappy emotion.

"Holy shit, Hinata yelled. I'm going to faint." TenTen clutched her chest jokingly.

"Hinata?" The man spun around towards them. His mouth instantly fell slightly agape.


	3. Chapter 3

First off I would like to apologize a million times over for the delay on this chapter. Thank you all who waited. Now I'll explain what happened. I in all honesty got complete writers block. I had no idea what I wanted to do with the characters. Genma wasn't agreeing with anything I tried and I am going to partially blame him for my troubles. I felt that I was rushing the story in a way I didn't intend and was trying to figure out the best way to slow things down again. I apologize again, but don't worry I already have the next chapter running it's way around in my head and it will be started as soon as I post this. :)** ten195- **I have no idea if Ino and Kakashi will end up together we will all have to wait and see. Not sure if a love triangle will bring the drama that is needed in a love story but rest assured something dramatic will happen eventually.** Sakisha & essiensense- **Thank you for you amazingly kind words.** Esther46- **Thank you for appealing my dialogues they are my biggest insecurity with my writing you made me feel a little better about I thank you patient people for waiting on me for so long.

* * *

><p>"I don't think this fool has even noticed us yet." TenTen giggled to Hinata as the man bent down to a woman with blonde hair.<p>

"Genma. Would you please move?" Hinata tried to ask. TenTen glanced at her in confusion.

"You know him?"

"Yeah… Genma! You're in the way!" Hinata yelled over the crowd and to her annoyance she felt a slight stirring of some kind of unhappy emotion.

"Holy shit, Hinata yelled. I'm going to faint." TenTen clutched her chest jokingly.

"Hinata?" The man spun around towards them. His mouth instantly fell slightly agape.

"Yes, would you please move now Genma?" Hinata returned to her usual timid demeanor, as she shoved her unhappiness into a corner and told it to shut up.

"Oh, uh yeah." Genma seemed to be fumbling over his words as he stood their staring at Hinata's dress and then back at her face. Hinata began to tap her shoe in frustration as he still didn't move.

"Genma you have to move your feet to get out of the lady's way." Kakashi laughed as he tugged his friend out of the door way. "You look very pretty tonight Hinata, who's your friend?"

"Hello Kakashi-san, this is my friend TenTen."

"Nice to meet you." Kakashi nodded at TenTen.

"Same to you."

"Did Ino buy those?" Genma asked seeming to come back around to normal again.

"No TenTen did, and sadly this was the most coverage I could get from her choices." Hinata glared at her friend who had stepped up beside her.

"Well it is very fitting for you." Genma smirked.

"Thank you, well boys we'll let you get back to your impressive dart game, and we're going to get some drinks." Hinata smiled sweetly as she led TenTen to the bar.

"You okay there buddy?" Kakashi chuckled watching Genma as he watched Hinata.

"That's a pair of leather shorts right?"

"Yes with a very noticeable zipper and they're very short."

"Why the hell is there so little fabric on the back of that shirt?"

"It's in style?"

"Did you see how even though it didn't have a low neck line there were slits all the way down to her bra?"

"I even noticed how it made a triangle shape on its way down."

"Genma? Did you forget about me?" The blonde who he was just about to kiss when Hinata interrupted him, whined at his side.

"Nope, just remembered what I was trying to distract myself from." He said as he walked away.

"So you gonna explain?" TenTen asked as the bartender handed them their drinks.

"Explain what?"

"How do you now that Genma guy and when did you get on a first name basis with Kakashi?"

"Well Genma is the most experienced senbon user in The Leaf Village, so Kurenai- sensei asked him to train me with them. Kakashi-san is his friend."

"Okay, now why don't we get down to the nitty gritty about how your seduction training is going."

"Gosh, I almost forgot how irritated I was at Ino, thank you for reminding me TenTen." Hinata sighed ending her sarcastic outburst. She then decided to just start from her being placed on inactive duty list. She was just starting to think it wasn't so bad when TenTen choked on her drink while trying not to laugh.

"You dropped a whole pile of dirty books at her feet?" Hinata simply nodded. "To have Genma speak up just at that moment you sure are an unlucky girl." TenTen laughed.

"I have to disagree, it was the perfect icebreaker I couldn't have made that one up if I had been trying." Genma appeared next to TenTen.

"I don't appreciate how I have become synonymous with dirty books." Kakashi grumbled.

"Then don't carry them around in the open so much." Genma chuckled. "Any plans tonight ladies besides dressing Hinata up?"

"I'm drinking to deal with the dress up." Hinata sighed again.

"Don't be so grumpy." TenTen nudged Hinata with her elbow.

"How can I not be ever since I got this assignment it's been one thing right after another, don't bother looking for me tomorrow I'm going to hide." Hinata said in a sweet tone with a faint smile.

"Fine I'll give you a break and I guess let Ino have ALL the fun."

"How is it fun to dress up another girl like this?" Genma asked.

"Not just another girl, but Hinata. She's just so pure and innocent acting we've all thought for a long time that if she ever shed that shell she'd be something amazing. Now we have a chance to see and everyone is impatient."

"You've talked me in a situation like this?" Hinata asked in puzzlement.

"Not like this exactly, but we've talked about you cutting loose. There is something about you that is unreadable, but faintly detectable… We want to know what it is."

"How will this bring it out?" Hinata gestured to her outfit.

"Not the clothing change exactly, but the chains you keep around yourself to keep yourself from being who you truly are. You are just too concerned with what everyone thinks of you. You don't live in the compound anymore you know."

"W-well yeah I know that, b-but this is who I am."

"Are you sure? You don't want to explore yourself just a little bit?" Genma asked with a growing curiosity in what Hinata's friends saw lingering under her façade.

"N-no it's uncomfortable."

"You don't feel the least bit pretty right now?" TenTen asked sipping on her drink.

Hinata paused looking at the three people interested in what she had to say. She took a deep breath and tried to find if pretty was hidden under all her worries. "I-I do a l-little I guess." She finally answered in a small voice. Genma and Kakashi shared a silent look of surprise, but TenTen only smiled a little with victory and a lot with a knowledge no one else understood.

"Hinata that's enough introspection for one bar outing let's dance girlie." TenTen grabbed Hinata's hand and drug her to the dance floor.

"Hey Kakashi you're good at reading people, what do you think they see under her extra polite exterior?"

"I see a bubbling sense of freedom, but like them I'm not sure what is going to break loose when it makes it to the surface."

"Is she truly that unreadable?"

"Yeah, she actually is. That bothers me a little. I think I need to keep an eye on her a little bit more often."

"That's a talent in itself to be so undetectable. How do you plan to find out more?"

"I'm requesting her for a mission. You can never understand a shinobi better than at times of battle."

"What?"

"Yeah, that's what I'll do." Kakashi mumbled to himself as he left the bar intent on finding the drunken Hokage and getting her to sign a mission slip with Hinata's name added to the roster.

"Whatever that man has planned is probably not good for anyone else involved." Genma chuckled as he watched Kakashi leave the bar. Kakashi used to not care about anything and still acted the same, but the truth was that he couldn't stand to not understand something. He felt like he always misunderstood Obito and those feelings had only intensified after the war. Now Kakashi was more open with his curiosity and he went to bolder links to find answers. It amused Genma to no end when he wasn't the one under Kakashi's microscope. "Poor Hinata." Genma sighed as his found her on the dance floor. For a moment he was stunned as he watched her sway her hips and twist her wrist above her head. She moved with the beat but in a smooth fashion no matter how much the beat slowed down or sped up. He found himself staring and lacking the will power not too. That's when it struck Genma just exactly what was different about the Hinata out there on the dance floor. She was free. She moved in a way that only she could move. She was smiling but her eyes were closed as she danced. She was letting herself be taken over by the beat with no inhibitions. A free Hinata was a very sexy Hinata, and Genma realized he needed to look away, join her and forget all the reasons why he shouldn't, or leave the bar. He was still trying to look away or leave when she and TenTen started to make their way off the dance floor.

"Ah, that made me feel better." Hinata giggled as she set down.

"You have always felt better after we drag you to the dance floor. Just get up and dance yourself Hina-cha!" TenTen laughed as she set down. "We're all jealous of your moves anyhow."

"Excuse me." Hinata said as she excused herself to the restroom.

"I saw that." TenTen winked at Genma.

"Saw what?" Genma smirked over the rim of his glass.

"Don't play coy with me. You couldn't stop staring if you wanted too. Don't worry though you weren't the only one." TenTen smiled as her refill was placed before her.

"It's just weird to see her so happy and so… free looking that's all."

"Whatever you say." TenTen agreed. "Here she comes."

Genma didn't know if he would ever be able to look at Hinata the same again. As she walked his eyes roamed to hips and he now noticed the smooth sway that they naturally had. TenTen chuckled beside him and he caught himself staring again. _Damn, I can't even hide my thoughts from this giggling girl! What is wrong with me? _Genma heard nothing as Hinata rejoined them at the bar. He heard nothing as she and her friend began to talk and laugh. Genma was lost in his own world of thought. It wasn't until Hinata tapped him on the shoulder that Genma was moved to come out from his own brain.

"Genma-san, we're going home. TenTen is wasted." Hinata gestured to her friend laughing into her empty glass.

"What jutsu is this? I swear it just keeps disappearing." TenTen laughed.

"Ah I see I'll help you walk her home, and stop with the honorifics." Hinata blushed slightly and smiled as Genma helped her haul TenTen out of the bar. It was a short walk to TenTen's house, but Hinata's place was at least twenty more blocks after that. Genma sighed as he realized he was going to have to walk that entire walk with just the two of them.

"Why don't any of you girls live close to each other?"

"We live in places that suit our personal needs and what we can afford." Hinata stated simply.

"You all really have that many different needs?"

"Well Sakura wanted to be away from her family, but close to the hospital. Ino wanted to be closest to the flower shop and the hospital. TenTen wanted to stay close to the compound, she just can't let go of Neji's memory yet. I wanted to be as far away from the compound and Naruto's place as possible without leaving this part of the village. With my income it ended up being the most suitable."

Genma only nodded he didn't need any more explanation he fully understood that sometimes there were things you wanted to run away from and sometimes there were things you couldn't run away from. All of these things compiled eventually made you who you are. He didn't fail to notice though that Hinata was closer to Naruto than she was the Hyuuga compound. So that meant that she was trying to get further away from it than she was her first love.

"Are you going to become the Hyuuga leader someday?" Genma asked as lightly as possible.

"No. Well maybe it is undecided. I don't want to be."

"Really?"

"Yeah but I want to do away with the branch house seal."

"That's ambitious."

"Yeah I should have hid it better that's why it's undecided and the elders are why I moved out. Anyways it's just a messy clan issue it will work itself out eventually." Hinata tried to recover herself as she realized she was possibly saying too much to any outsider.

"I'm glad to be such a lone wolf then." Genma chuckled in an attempt to lighten the mood.

"I wish I could be that way." Hinata sighed. She looked up to the stars. "I want to fly. Neji wasn't the only caged bird." Genma barely caught a glimpse of the mournful and angry smile before it was wiped expertly from her face. "Want to race?"

"Huh?" Genma stopped as his brain tired to sort out the confusion.

"Do you want to race?" Hinata pointed to the roofs of the buildings surrounding them.

"Why?"

"Are you chicken Genma-san?" Hinata grinned

"Excuse me?" _Am I seriously being challenged and teased by the Hyuuga princess right now?_ "What do I get if I win?"

"Umm… W-what do you want?" Hinata stuttered losing some of her bolster.

"Hmm." Genma slowly spun his senbon around in his mouth. "I want a tour of the secluded Hinata Hyuuga's house."

"I am not secluded."

"Only three people have been inside your house. Ino, TenTen, and Sakura."

"They are my friends."

"Shino? Kiba?"

"Okay I get your point. What do I get if I win?"

"I'll give you a set of jewel senbon."

"Senbons made out of jewels?" Hinata gasped.

"Is that possible?"

"Only if you know the right person with a lot of talent." _Why did I offer that? They were my mother's I can't hand them over on a bet, but no one would suit them better I guess. _Genma silently argued with himself.

"Terms accepted." Hinata stuck out her hand. "You better have that set waiting for me in the morning." She smiled as he shook her hand. Before Genma could register that no one was going to say go Hinata was already hallway up the buildings. It suddenly hit Genma just how much of a disadvantage he was at. He had accepted a challenge from a jonin medic ninja of the Hyuuga clan to raise to her home. He no longer doubt he was a idiot as he topped the buildings and saw Hinata three houses ahead of him using perfect chakra control to boost each step she took. Genma decided now was not the time to remember she was a girl. He took off after her using larger amounts of chakra to burst his steps.

"I'm a member of the Hokage Guard you know that right?" Genma chuckled as he caught up to her.

"I'm Hinata Hyuuga." Was all she said, as she reach her arms out like wings. She sent a large amount of chakra to her feet and jumped on off the edge of the building they were crossing. Genma noticed to late why he ran down the side of the building using his chakra and then through the middle of the market. He startled a the few people in the area as he launched himself on top of the next building and that was when he noticed Hinata Standing on a balcony. He slowed his pace and took in their surroundings.

"How many times have you done that?"

"It's my house. I usually run home. It's a short burst of training in agility, chakra control, and stealth."

"And that jump is the closest you get to flying?" Genma asked as he landed lightly on the balcony railing in front of her.

"That too."

"Well a bet is a bet even if the disadvantage was clearly only on me." Genma chuckled forming a few hand signals. When the box appeared in his hand.

"Why did you have them sealed?" Hinata asked as she looked at the box in obvious curiosity.

"Eh, that's a story for another time, but they are important to me so how about one last deal."

"Depends on the terms." Hinata eyed him and the box cautiously.

"A bet is a bet and these are rightfully yours, but since I was clearly losing for the beginning I still want a tour of your house." Genma smirked.

"It's pretty messy I don't think you would be very impressed." Hinata blushed lightly. Genma didn't understand why, but something kept bugging him about wanting to be the first man she let into her space. Genma looked at her with an exaggerated pout. "Don't give me the puppy dog face." She giggled.

"Come on these are one of a kind and I just want to see what you live like." Genma fake whined.

"Fine, but you're not allowed to comment on anything you see in the floor or on my couch." Hinata said as she hopped down from the railing and opened the patio door off her balcony. Genma nodded in agreement even though he no idea what that could mean.

"Oh." Was that Genma could say as they entered into the living room, and Hinata began turning on the lights. Every inch of her couch was covered in clothes and from what Genma could tell they were skimpy. Genma's mind started to detour into imagining Hinata in a few, but he quickly caught himself and went back to looking around. Just as he started to try to figure out what the fabric laid out on her coffee table was Hinata scooped them up and shoved them under the pile. "Oh." He chuckled slightly as he realized she had laid put a set of lingerie for some reason. Hinata quickly turned a dark shade of red.

"M-make yourself at home I'm g-going to shove t-these in my bedroom." She stammered in embarrassment. Genma chuckled again. He simply nodded as he took his time looking at her collection of books, which did contain more than romance novels. He noticed she owned very few movies and that everything in her house, besides the clothes, was staged in a way that reminded him of a magazine. Nothing in the space made him think of her, but everything made him think of her clan. Just as he was convinced that nothing in the apartment had been picked by the inhabitant herself he noticed the large painting hung behind her sofa.

"This is amazing." He said as she entered the room.

"You think so too." She said excitedly. "I fell in love with it as soon as I saw it. It was splurge but I couldn't pass it up." The painting seemed simple and complex at the same time. It was a silhouette of a woman in a pale blue color around her were brightly colored trees and flowers, but they looked blurry like a camera not in focus. As Genma kept trying to see what he was missing in the focus of the painting he realized that in a faintly darker shade of blue the woman was surround by a cage.

"Holy crap that's amazing. The flowers and leaves make a chain if you look at them from her out instead of them in."

"Ah, you see it too. No one else sees it. Only TenTen noticed the cage."

"It looks so bright, but feels melancholy. The bright colors are only to hide the chains and the cage." Hinata nodded with a wide smile on her face. "She is trapped by the things surrounding her, but if you can't see to the underneath of the beauty you won't understand why." Genma mused aloud.

"That's exactly how it made me feel. I am so glad I let you in here." Hinata smiled and then blushed as she realized what she had said. "I-I just mean y-you are the first person to see it." Genma chuckled and simply nodded. "Everyone else just tried to figure out how a painting so bright can feel so sad."

"Not everyone has enough pain to be able to see to the underneath."

"I guess that could be true."

"You do though. What caused your pain I wonder?" Genma mused aloud again as he walked past her down to her hallway. Except for the painting everything seemed to be staged and lacked a feel of Hinata. As Genma circled his way back to her living room he found her laying on her couch. "Hinata?" He asked a quietly thinking maybe she had fallen asleep.

"Genma I think I'm a little drunker than I originally thought. Now that I've calmed down I can feel the buzz." She chuckled to herself. "Stupid stress always screwing up a good buzz."

"Well Hinata thank you for letting me into your space."

"No problem, oddly enough you don't stress me out. I haven't known you that long or anything, but I feel like I can be me around you." Hinata smiled at him. Genma's heart stumbled over itself for a second before he was able to chase away the happiness he felt at hearing her thoughts on him.

"I feel comfortable around you too Hinata I think we're going to make interesting friends you and I." Genma chuckled.

"True." Hinata laughed. "Hyuuga princess and rumored heartbreaker, no one will understand."

"Hey I take offense to that title."

"Same as I do 'princess', and I bet you still think it." Genma didn't respond he had never thought that the title would bother, but if you factored in her trying to loosen the hold the clan had on her he might understand after all.

"I'll see you around."

"Yeah I'll find you sometime later this week when I have successfully shook off a pushy friend or two." Genma chuckled again as he let himself back out her patio window. He couldn't help but smile. She found easiness with him and weather he liked to admit it or not that made him very happy.

Genma was resting on top of Hinata's building watching the city around him when he felt a familiar chakra appear behind him.

"She let you in huh?"

"Damn it Kakashi, don't you ever have your own life to attend too?"

"Rarely, but it does happen. Plus placating curiosity is my biggest hobby so this is actually my life." Genma sighed as Kakashi set down beside him. "What are you thinking?"

"That I am going to get myself in trouble if I don't put some distance between the two of us for sure. She makes me happy in ways I don't fully understand, and her little friend caught me practically drooling over her, twice!"

"Ouch, couldn't control yourself that bad?"

"I'm not sure I even wanted too." Genma sighed again.

"Sounds like I might just be your knight in shining armor."

"How so?" Genma asked in a bored tone.

"Hinata and I will be gone on a mission starting next Monday until whenever we achieve our goal."

"Just you two for an undisclosed amount of time?"

"Yep just the two of us. It's a recon mission with the chance of going sour. A pretty high chance."

"That doesn't make me feel any better to have her out there with you alone."

"You don't want me saving her life if need be? Or you don't want me to have that time with her alone while she's suppose to be training in the art of seduction?"

"You are making it much worse Kakashi!"

"You could go with us I suppose."

"No. I need distance not confined to a tent with her."

"Sleep in a tree."

"No."

"I wonder if she's ever been kissed or after a week with me she will start to see more than half her time ate up and ask me for the male advice."

"No."

"I bet she has a lot of questions that a man needs to answer."

"Shut up."

"Oh, you know I wonder if she'll bring sexy underwear just to get use to them. I might just stumble across her section of the creek to find out."

"Stop, it's not working."

"I bet navy blue would look great on her skin tone and with her hair. I really like that color."

"Still no."

"Okay, I will be sure to give her visual and physical lessons on everything she asks." Kakashi stood up to leave.

"Damn it. You are a dirty rotten man. You are a snake in the grass just waiting for the mice to scurry past you. I'll go! Ugh, are you happy now?!"

"Good having you to teach her more on the senbon, and both of us having been spotted with her recently; Tsunade is hoping she'll be comfortable enough to ask us questions, it's the only chips I had to play to get Tsunade to agree to let her go."

"You already had me assigned?"

"Yep."

"A snake you are definitely a snake."

"I'm okay with that." Kakashi smirked as he leapt off the building.


	4. Chapter 4

Hinata woke up on her couch. She was still clothed in the horrible outfit that TenTen had picked out for her. Her head wasn't pounding and Hinata took that as a great sign that she needed to get up and out of her house as fast as possible, before someone came to try and get her to do more uncomfortable things.

She made record time of getting in and getting out of the shower. She was running as she came to bedroom closet, but she came up short of grabbing down her trusty baggy jacket. She wasn't sure it was the best thing to wear. _If I wear this then does it look as if I've made no progress on my own and that without someone else pushing me along can I not wear these other clothes? _She dropped her hand away from the jacket with a sigh. She turned back to her bed. Clothes were piled up so high that she almost couldn't see over them. _I need something that will move with me. _She set about throwing constricting garments on the ground and a few she wasn't sure how you made them look like clothing. _Okay that's about half. Umm, wow I still have no idea. _She thought as she stared at the rainbow colored pile. She picked through items until she decided dark colors would be better for her plans today. She was left with more options than she had thought she would be. She picked through the items some more holding them up and deciding a few would never touch her body. Eventually she was left with two tops, three shorts, and one skirt. _Loose or structured? Shorts or skirt? How do girls go through this every day? _Eventually she broke down and decided she would have to try each thing on to decide.

She had lost all the time her record setting shower had saved her. It had taken her almost two hours to pick out the loose mid-length skirt and tight navy blue top. She left her house via her patio just in case anyone was on their way to her apartment. She skipped along rooftops until she could see the wall surrounding Konoha. She could already feel tension leaving her as she landed on a tree branch outside the village. As a smile tugged at her lips she sent a burst of chakra to her feet and disappeared deeper into the woods determined not to return to the village until after sundown.

* * *

><p>Tsunade was nursing a hangover and trying very hard to appear busy when someone burst through the door to her office.<p>

"Genma have you lost your mind?"

"I came here to ask you the same think Hokage-sama."

"It's one little mission."

"You let him trick you, you played right into his hands!" Genma yelled. He had been up all night trying to figure out how he was going to survive trying to avoid being played by Kakashi and putting distance between him and Hinata at the same time. He was exhausted, irritated, and sexually frustrated. "Why do I have to go with them?"

"It's more efficient for Hinata to be put back on active duty if you go and get her senbon training finished while you're all out on the mission." Tsunade sighed trying her best to have patience with the obviously distressed member of her guard before her.

"She can be done already. She's a natural with it. I don't have to go there is nothing to teach her."

"Don't try to lie to get out of this mission Genma!" She snapped losing her patience with him completely.

"I'm not. She's naturally graceful so she learned how to handle them almost instantly. I've never seen someone pick up the balance of soft force so quickly. She has a wonderful aim. She has some of the best chakra control I have ever seen and has already mentioned the idea of playing with them with her chakra. Honestly it's only been a short time of training but she might be able to surpass my level of skill with them in no time at all. It is a shame that the Hyuuga are not more open to experimenting with weapons, because she deadly with them." Genma ran his hands down his face. "There is honestly nothing I can teach her, and Kakashi knows this. He only wants me to go along to figure something out for himself is my guess. I don't know what he wants, but I want to be removed from this mission."

"Kakashi is curious about something that involves you and Hinata what is it?"

"How should I know what that lunatic is thinking?"

"Your request is denied. Have a good day Genma." Tsunade said simply waving him out the door.

"Oh come on!"

"I said it is denied!" Tsunade chucked her stapler at Genma's head. He barely dodged the projectile.

"Fine!" He yelled while slamming the door to her office. Tsunade groaned as she noticed it shift lower on its hinges. Shizune was going to have a fit over the hole in the wall and the door for sure.

"This is going to be hard on my hangover."

Genma was tired and angry as he flew to the edges of Konoha. Thinking that nothing could make his day any worse he decided to hide away like coward. That and he wanted a quiet place to train away all his frustrations. He wasted no time jumping the wall and heading out to his personal training area. Nothing was going to stop him from destroying a couple trees today.

* * *

><p>Hinata let out an audible sigh of relief when she could see the small spring fed pond. She wasted no time in removing her shoes and wading out into the water. The water was cold but the day was hot so it felt nice on her skin and her nerves. Hinata knew she was pushing herself to hard, but if she didn't at least fool the Hokage into thinking she was ready to seduce a man then she would never be able to get out of the village again. She needed that time away from her clan, and away from the whole village who doubted her. She wouldn't survive always being stuck in a place that knew her so well and so little at the same time. She never felt at ease in the compound or around the village. Everyone knew everything about her, the little Hyuuga princess, but no one knew who she was. Sometimes even Hinata wondered if she knew who she was, she doubted that she really had herself figured out most of the time. She let all her thoughts slip away as she submerged herself into the water. She let herself float under the surface for a few seconds before she came back up and loaded her hands and feet with chakra to climb up to the surface of the water. These moments when she training with water were always her most relaxing, excluding that time Naruto had seen her.<p>

Within an instant of steadying herself on the water's surface she was spinning the water up around her. She no longer had to use just droplets she had trained enough she could control large sheets of the water. She sent a larger pillar of water out in front of her and she grabbed a kunai from pouch she threw the kunai at the pillar. She strengthened and compressed the water in hopes of stopping the kunai. She stomped her foot when the kunai still made it through the water even if it did only lightly fall into the water. _Not yet it's not good enough yet. _She tried again over and over for hours she tried to make a shield of the water pillar.

When Hinata finally looked up to the sky she saw that it was past noon. She decided to give her water ability a break. She let her chakra fade from her feet and she slowly suck back into the chest high water. She kicked her feet out in front of her and slowly paddle backwards in a small circles.

"I thought you might be here." A familiar voice called out to her as she was floating on her back with her eyes closed.

"Are you alone?"

"Of course."

"Oh thank Kami. You didn't tell them where I might be right?"

"I told them if you had disappeared like that then you might have been called to the compound."

"Welcome home. Kiba." Hinata said opening her eyes and smiling and her friend.

"About time you said so." He chuckled. Hinata climbed out of the water.

"So did Ino tell everyone everything?" Hinata asked as Akumaru nudged her hand with his nose.

"It's Ino, do I have answer that?"

"No I guess it's pretty self-explanatory." Hinata responded now hugging Akumaru's neck as she scratched his ears and back.

"Well it looks like you're dealing with it okay if you dressed yourself."

"I did and am."

"You want to talk about it?"

"Not really."

"Good me neither. How about we train."

"That sounds way better." Hinata chuckled.

"Okay, Ino says you've gotten good with those senbon you got any on you?"

"Yes I do."

"Alright, and stop spoiling my dog so much. I swear he likes you better than me." Kiba sighed looking at Akumaru who was standing on his back legs licking Hinata's cheek.

"Get over it he missed me." She chuckled nuzzling her head against his cheek.

"Well I need to work on my long distance attacks, so how about I throw kunai and you try to intercept with your senbon."

"Sounds difficult. I like it. Lead the way." She motioned picking up her shoes. She followed Kiba easily as he leapt into the trees and led her to a clearing with logs and targets stuck up around the edges of a clearing. Hinata was glad that Shino and Kiba had been her teammates in her youth. Both of them had turned out to be wonderful friends of hers. Shino was always the first to congratulate her on any accomplishment she ever made, and he was also the only one who listen endlessly to her self-doubts. He would never agree nor disagree with anything she ever did, but she knew it was because he believed that she could do anything she put her mind to. Kiba on the other hand was always telling her to be the greatest, but he never pushed her without pushing himself just as hard if not more. He was the one to hug her and console her when she cried, and hug her when he was proud of her. Between the two of them Hinata had learned the meaning family. All three of them agreed that Kurenai was the best person on planet, and they all still visited frequently and invited her to every event they ever went to. They had all grow up and Kurenai wasn't their sensei anymore and they no longer belonged to team 8 all those days were in the past, but the bonds they had made were indestructible.

"You ready?" Kiba hollered at her from atop of the logs. Hinata simply nodded placing a few senbon in her hair quickly. "Okay I'm going to be aiming at the targets across the clearing."

Without another word Hinata readied herself activating her Byakugan she faced the targets. Kiba started throwing kunai at a rapid speed. Hinata used her Byakugan to pinpoint the best area to hit the kunai after a handful of failed attempts she had started to make progress. Kiba would empty his kunai supply and Hinata her senbons. Each time they noted progress or defeats, and they practiced like this for hours. As the sun started to fade enough that the sky was darkening Kiba put his kunai back into his weapons pouch, and set down on a tree branch.

"You want to talk about what's bothering you so badly yet?"

"It's just this assignment stressing me out." Hinata sighed as she dug a senbon out of a branch. Akumaru came trotting up to her as he realized training was over. She scratched his ears as she set down on a stump and looked over at Kiba.

"You're a bad liar."

"It's something I should talk over with Shino instead."

"So you don't want to hear an honest answer?"

"Come on can't you just let it be?"

"This is another question I don't have to actually answer right?"

"I'm going home Kiba." Hinata sighed and started slowly walking back towards the village. The truth was she wasn't sure what exactly was eating at her so hard, but Kiba was right it was more than just the assignment.

"Fine, fine you don't have to talk to me yet." Kiba yelled running after her. "Let me tell you about my last mission then."

Hinata couldn't help laughing at the situations Kiba got himself in. She couldn't image another ninja getting by with so much except for Naruto and Kiba. That was probably why they didn't get assignments together that often. Kiba walked backwards in front of Hinata telling his stories with exaggerated hand movements and fits of laughter. Hinata smiled and laughed along with him. It was nice to talk about something other than herself. She began to loosen up the longer they talked and by the time they were half way back to the village she was running around playing with Akumaru.

Genma could see her walking with a boy and a dog a good quarter mile ahead of him but he knew it was her without a doubt. He quickened his step a little he was curious about what she would talk about with her friends. The closer he got the more he realized that she was enjoying herself in a way he hadn't seen yet. When she took off at a jog and was chased by the over-sized dog, Genma masked his chakra. He suddenly didn't want to be seen by her, he jumped into the trees. She spun around on heels and ran back at the dog, he ran away and looped around the boy with them. After a few turns Genma realized they were playing a version of tag. Hinata was throwing her head back laughing as the dog tried to head her off by running just inside the tree line. Genma stayed with them amazed to see that Hinata could find such joy in such a pointless activity.

"Kiba I swear I'll take great care of Akumaru when you give him to me." Hinata laughed matching her pace to the boy's again.

"You can't have my dog, no matter how much either of you want it to happen." The boy chuckled. "You're a traitor Akumaru." He added looking at the dog who seemed to shrug as he continued to walk beside Hinata.

"He's not a traitor he just knows how spoiled he would be if he lived with me. He's a glutton that's all."

"True, how could I blame a dog for wanting to live somewhere with a person who gives him a steak every time he comes back from a mission."

"I buy you steak too." Hinata lightly smacked his arm.

"How many times have I said you could move in with me anytime you want?" The boy named Kiba waggled his eyebrows at Hinata.

"Get over yourself you pervert. You both just want steak and someone to clean your room for you."

"Can you imagine it Akumaru never to clean up after ourselves again." Kiba sighed and the dog barked happily in agreement.

"Oh grow up both of you I wouldn't survive one 24 hour period under the same roof as you two." The boy and the dog rolled their eyes.

"We like our bachelor life style to much as it is anyways, right buddy?" The dog yipped again. "Besides rejecting me again what's new with you."

"One I didn't reject you because you don't want a relationship you want a maid and a cook, I declined the job offer. Two, I've just been working on this assignment."

"What all have you been doing exactly?"

"Wearing clothes like this and going to the bar." Hinata sighed. "Oh and senbon training."

"I saw that you're really pretty good for such a short time."

"I've been ripped off!" Hinata stomped her foot.

"Who ripped you off? What have you been up too?"

"Genma did. We made a bet I won. He didn't give me those fancy senbon."

"Ah shit." Genma slapped his forehead. He monetarily forgot he spying on ninja and when he looked back down to see they had all three stopped and were staring up into the trees he stumbled and just barely caught the branch with enough chakra to hold himself upside down. "I found you!" He exclaimed pushing himself off the branch and landing in front of Kiba and Hinata.

"Genma? What were you doing up there?" Hinata pointed up while staring at him with a slight glare.

"I was just waiting for the right moment to pop down and give you my end of the bargain."

"How long have you been following us?"

"Not long, just long enough to realize I wasn't quick enough to keep you from thinking I'm a jerk." Genma scratched the back of his head uncomfortably. He suddenly had a new found respect for Kakashi's pathetic excuses, even they were hard to come up with on the fly.

"That's all you came looking for me for?"

"Yes, no… No it's not. We have a mission to get ready for."

"I'm on inactive duty I can't have a mission to prepare for."

"True under most situations, but Tsunade-sama herself signed off on this mission allowing you to accompany Kakashi and myself."

"You and Kakashi, for how long?"

"Undetermined."

"Am I allowed under any circumstances to object?" Genma couldn't help, but feel a little stung by her question it didn't matter that his objection had been rejected and that's really why he was out here.

"No she and Kakashi both, specifically picked us."

"Ah, okay. Do I need to be briefed by you or Kakashi?"

"Kakashi, since I haven't even been briefed yet."

"Good luck tracking him down." Kiba chuckled. "Look at that Hina-chan you got a mission. It's not so bad right."

"Nope, it's now worse." Hinata grumbled under her breath lightly, knowing Kiba and Akumaru would be able to hear her. Kiba chuckled and Akumaru whined and rubbed his cheek against her.

"Well that's all I needed." Genma said quickly disappearing back into the trees.

Never in his life had he felt so on edge talking to a woman, but he knew that his old tricks wouldn't have worked on Hinata anyways. He really didn't need this mission he was losing his mind. He had never had any woman disapprove of an assignment with him, and not only was she not pleased she had straight up asked if she could refuse. All of his blowing off steam had been a waste, he had went out to get his mind off the young kunochi invading his brain space. He was back where he started and now he had a bruised ego to add to the pile. Was there finally a woman in his life that would never amount to anything more than a friend? Isn't that what he wanted originally, why was it frustrating now? Genma spent the entire short run back to the village wondering if it was all about having the unattainable. By the time he reach his house he vowed to never think of Hinata in an unprofessional manner again, he succeed all the way up to his living room couch where he chuckled at the thought of her face when he saw those skimpy under garments. "Damn it! I am going to die a slow and miserable death at this rate."

* * *

><p>Kiba poked and prodded at Hinata's uncharacteristic annoyance with the older shinobi the entire way back to her front door. Hinata gave him little response because her brain was trying to figure out why she had immediately felt so against going on a mission with Genma. When Hinata opened her door Kiba stopped and looked at her and she turned to see what he was doing. He was just looking at her with obvious question in his eyes.<p>

"Don't just stand there looking stupid come in and I'll make your celebratory steak." Hinata motioned them inside. Akumaru didn't wait to be told twice.

"Here at your house?" Kiba questioned.

"Yeah here at my house. I've decided recently that I need to stop being so closed off. People aren't all bad." Akumaru came back from his quick tour through all the rooms and barked to Kiba.

"Who else has been in here recently?" Kiba questioned sternly.

"Ino, TenTen, and Genma." Hinata sighed.

"That ninja from before?"

"Yes him."

"Why? Was that the awkward tension?"

"No nothing happened he was just curious it was part of the bet."

"You let someone in your house based on a bet before Shino or I got in here?" Kiba was shocked at the idea. He sat down at the kitchen table as Hinata went about her kitchen gathering supplies.

"No actually I won the bet but let him see the place anyways. I trust Genma and being around usually makes me feel at ease I just thinking he was spying on me for some reason today."

"Why does it irritate you?"

"Because I feel like every male I talk to is being reported back to Tsunade, and it makes me feel as if my life isn't my own private business anymore."

"Ah, any other reason for the tension today?"

"I suddenly felt like I didn't want to go on an undetermined length mission with Kakashi and Genma. Mostly Genma."

"Why?"

"I haven't figured that part out yet."

Kiba shrugged and let the subject drop and went to talking about different girls from around the village, and about his hopes and dreams. As Hinata set about cleaning herself up and preparing the steak, Kiba was reconfirming Hinata's theory that he could ramble about anything forever.

"Hina? Are you okay?" Kiba asked concerned as he entered the kitchen.

"I'm fine." She said brushing away the spontaneous tears that begun falling a few minutes before.

"Hina-chan, is it the mission?" Kiba asked hugging her back as she finished preparing plates.

"I think it's just the stress and now I'm going to be out there with those two for who knows how long."

"Isn't Kakashi pretty quiet?" Kiba pondered aloud.

"Not really I mean he isn't like you or Ino, but more like Shino."

"Oh you've been around him a little and now he talks more freely."

"Yeah, he's not bad at all, and neither is Genma they're both very likable. I just don't want to be stuck out on a mission with two people I only met, because of my current situation."

"Ah, now that I completely understand." Kiba smiled releasing Hinata and placing the two plates down on the table. He returned added Akumaru's massive steak onto a plate and then onto the floor. Akumaru happily set right to work on making it disappear. "Hina baby, you know you've been on more awkward missions. Remember that mission with Naruto and Sakura, and that younger girl who was fawning all over Naruto?" Hinata let out a giggle.

"Kami, I had repressed that one. Naruto fawning over Sakura who was completely denying all of it, and then this little Ino.2 trying to show her cleavage every other second, and I'm just over here like 'hey I'm over him, I'm good, so completely good.'" Hinata chuckled again.

"You cried for a whole day, but only after you got home, now you laugh about it. Things are never truly as bad as you're seeing them when you're in emotional over drive."

"You're right thank you Kiba. I just need to calm down look at this logically and think of a game plan. I already have some questions I think he would be best for Kakashi."

"That's my girl!" Kiba cheered. "Let's eat." Hinata smiled and sighed with relief as they finished their meal. Akumaru and guilted Hinata out of half her steak. She cleaned the kitchen as Kiba ranted about his sister. She agreed reluctantly when Kiba suggested a movie, but as she sunk onto to her end of the couch and Akumaru curled up on her feet she felt instantly at ease. Kiba started the movie before stretching out on the other end. Hinata didn't even make it past the previews before she had fallen asleep.

She was awaken by a rough shake of her shoulder and Akumaru's growl.

"Hinata, wake up. Please tell me you didn't pick."

"Hey you dude who can't keep his end of a deal, what do you think you're doing?" Kiba growled.

"Genma?" Hinata yawned opening her eyes. "What are you doing?"

"Did you pick him?"

"For what?"

"For your hypothetical. Why did you let him stay all night?"

"What hypothetical? He stayed because we had steak."

"Steak?"

"Mmmhmm, steak. Akumaru calm down he's a good guy." Hinata yawned again closing her eyes and stretching across the couch. She was trying to comprehend what was going on but she was still so tired. She felt like she was never going to sleep off this exhaustion.

"Hinata, did you fall back asleep?" Genma asked in a quieter voice. He seemed to have calmed down.

"Mmhmm, so ssshhh" She whispered.

"Hinata you come on wake up we've Kakashi wants to brief us this morning." He seemed to cooing at her now, like he was talking to child.

"No, ssshhh just lay down to, don't fight it." She barely caught Kiba's laugh before she was back out.

* * *

><p>"What the heck did she just say?" Genma asked flustered. He had shown up to retrieve her and Kiba had opened the door rubbing sleep from his eyes. Genma had automatically thought she had asked Kiba to be her trainer of humankind's more animalistic nature.<p>

"That's Hinata when she's relieved some mental stress."

"She does this often? Offering men a spot beside her when she's half out of it?"

"No that's a new one, but the groggy lack of rational thought part yeah that's Hina after she's slept from having a good cry."

"She cried? Why?"

"The training, the mission, and although I can't say for 100% if you were part of the reason for the tears she did mention you and Kakashi."

"I made her cry?" Genma's face paled.

"No just the stress of her entire situation did." Kiba tried to reassure the older shinobi. "Well I'm headed home if you give her about twenty more minutes after the first attempt of waking her she'll be 1000 times more ready to wake up."

"You're going to just leave me here with her like this?" Genma blurted out his inner surprise.

"Hinata said she's at ease with you, so I will be too." Kiba explained as he walked out the door.

"How much more does he know about you than I do?" Genma questioned the sleeping beauty. His only answer was soft slow breaths filling the silence around him.


	5. Chapter 5

Genma had decided to give Hinata thirty minutes just to play it safe. He spent the time wandering through her living room. He had been surprised to find that through each of the books lining her book shelves she had highlighted sections she had liked. Some of the snippets were humorous, some of them heart breaking, some romantic, and some much to his amusement were down right perverted.

"You continue to surprise me." He told her sleeping form. Genma sighed as he placed the book his holding back on the shelf. "I will say this… If it wasn't for complications, then I would indulge you in many of these fantasies." He trailed his fingers along the spines of a particularly steamy series of novels. _Complications. _He chuckled to himself. If he wasn't as old or if she wasn't so young. If she was less shy and more like him. If no one would ever find out. If they had met under different circumstances. It boiled down if everything was different then maybe it could happen. "You would hit me with those not so gentle fist of yours if you knew what I was thinking when you're around." He sighed again as he twisted a strand of her hair between his fingers.

"Okay this time you have to get up Hina-chan." He softly shook her shoulder.

Hinata woke with a start she popped into a crouching position with shuriken in hand before Genma had time to realize his mistake. You never wake a ninja when you're within striking distance, no matter how attractive they are. Before even giving her eyes time to focus Hinata slashed out with the shuriken.

"Oh shit" She heard as the threat stumbled backwards. Her eyes quickly found focus as she activated her Byakugan. "Shit Hinata calm down it's me." Her sleepiness had finally cleared her brain enough that she realized she knew that voice. She returned her vision to normal.

"I'm sorry Genma." She said as he came into view.

"It's my fault no worries." Hinata noticed that he was holding onto his right forearm. Hinata gasped as blood began to seep through his fingers.

"Oh god Genma, I c-cut you."

"It's not that bad." He sighed, regretting that she was stress stuttering again.

"I can heal it then." Suddenly she rushed at him. She pried his hand away from the gash on his forearm, Genma didn't even feel her chakra as it wove into his shallow wound. He was much more distracted by the gap in the front of Hinata's over-sized sleep shirt. He couldn't see everything but he saw enough that he was hypnotized as she breathed. A gentle swell and only a small space between her breast even when neither wrapped or shoved into a bra. Just as when she invaded his wound, he failed to notice she had retracted her chakra.

"-nma. Genma?" He felt his cheeks attempt to heat as he realized she had been trying to talk to him.

"Thanks, all better." He prayed she had been asking if he felt better.

"Oh good." She sighed in relief. "I am so sorry." She dropped her forehead to his chest. Genma swallowed hard. "I don't normally do that, I was learned to slowly wait and listen before stirring. You can only attack so many maids before they no longer trust you." She giggled. He imagined she had learned to repress the action at the Hyuuga compound. "I felt so bad when I realized you were bleeding. I'm so glad I was able to heal you on my own." She stepped backwards. "So why are you here Genma?"

"Remember our mission?"

"The one with Kakashi?"

"Yep that one, he wants to meet us… Umm twenty minutes ago for the briefing."

"When does this mission even begin?"

"Next Monday. I do know that much." Genma chuckled.

"Oh so I've got like five days before then. I'll have to make time to train with Kurenai." Genma simply nodded figuring she was talking more to herself than to him anyways. "Give me a moment and I'll be right back." He nodded again. He watched her hips sway until she far enough down her hall that he couldn't see her anymore.

_That was pretty much the opposite of what I told myself I was going to do. _He sighed heavily and attempted to think of things that would calm his lustful mind. She returned too quickly for him to have completely purified his mind. _I didn't think I would miss those baggy clothes, but right now I almost hate Tsunade. She is at fault for my down fall. _

"Ready?" Hinata bounced into the living room cheerfully.

"You seem almost happy about the mission now, what changed?"

"Kiba reminded me of other examples where I over thought things and I feel better about this now. At least I do get go on a mission during all this craziness." He only hmphed, it irritated him that Kiba has been the one to cheer her up. Hinata motioned for him to lead the way.

Avoiding the city streets to make up some lost time they ran across the rooftops to get to the Hokage's tower. Genma figured Kakashi picked its rooftop because the odd group had few to no places in common. Kakashi and Genma had been on different teams when they left the academy. Hinata had only recently met him and had little to no actual relationship with Kakashi that wasn't him being a bystander to her admiration of his student. They arrived quickly and Genma was not surprised to not find Kakashi waiting on them.

"Didn't you say we were late already?"

"Yep."

"Do you think Kakashi-san went to look for us?"

"Huh?" He looked at Hinata confused.

"Since we were so late?"

"Oh uh no." He scratched the back of his head as he finally understood. "It's more likely that he hasn't shown up yet either." This time Hinata gave him the questioning look. "I guess you've never been on a mission with Kakashi before?" She shook her head. "Well other than being the infamous 'Copy-Nin' and pervert. Kakashi is known for his inability to show up to anything on time. Even if he set the time in the first place."

"So he is always late to everything."

"Everything." Genma confirmed.

"I am not late to everything." Kakashi interrupted, although he sounded disinterested. "Although sometimes being the last one to get somewhere has its perks. Take for example a certain finish line, I'm always the last there too and it is always appreciated."

"What kind of race is good to lose?"

"A one-on-one race of course." Kakashi answered with his signature eye crinkle smile. Hinata looked between the frowning Genma and smiling Kakashi in confusion, finally simply shrugging.

"So there's two out of three legends of Kakashi in less than five minutes." Genma grumbled. "We've been waiting Kakashi."

"Oh well you see I had lost my…" He scratched the back of his head. "Shoes, yeah, shoes and couldn't leave the house without those." Genma rolled his eyes and Hinata giggled. She couldn't believe he tried to pass off such a horrible excuse.

"Who is idiotic enough to buy your lame excuses?"

"It's the truth, I swear."

"Swear really? Swear to what or whom?"

"Well I hadn't thought that far about it. It's an expression."

"Swear on Icha Icha." Kakashi frowned.

"Don't try to push my buttons so openly."

''Oh, pushing a button am I? So are you not going to swear on Icha Icha then?"

"I will not even acknowledge that you suggested it."

"Can I do the same with the recent buttons of mine you've tap-danced on?"

"Did Tsunade not make herself clear?" Kakashi chuckled. "I saw the door and the hole in the wall she told me you had been by to visit with her." Genma rolled his senbon around in his mouth leveling Kakashi with a cold glare.

"Can we just get down to business?" Hinata asked. "You two seem to be easily distracted around each other."

"What a wonderful idea Hina-chan." Hinata blushed as Kakashi addressed her so informally. He pulled a scroll from the pouch on the back of his belt. "Honestly labeling this and undetermined length mission is probably causing you both a bit of misunderstanding." Kakashi handed the scroll to Hinata chuckling quietly to himself. Hinata opened the scroll and Genma came up behind her to look over her shoulder. "You see its not actually a hard mission." Kakashi watched as Hinata simply held the scroll out and up further than necessary to make it easier for Genma to read as well. Kakashi sighed that wasn't he was expecting to happen.

"It undetermined because the Lady we will be escorting is a royal pain?"

"Ugh." Hinata groaned. "I've escorted her before back as a chunin. She is difficult."

"Does that mean we'll have an upper hand since your familiar with her?"

"Possibly, I think she kind of liked me back then. I don't remember that well it was truly a horrible mission all in all."

"What happened?" Kakashi shifted into serious mode and caused Hinata to startle a bit at the sudden change.

"Uh, w-well nothing big pertaining to the mission directly." Genma noticing the increase in her anxiety placed his hand lightly on her shoulder.

"If you're familiar with the object of the mission any information, no matter how you view it can be important."

"I know that Kakashi, I realize neither of us is familiar with the other but I am also a jonin. I'm not some green academy grad." Hinata had bristled a bit at the condescending tone Kakashi had aimed at her. "If you must know the mission was horrible, because this girl is horribly spoiled and complained the _entire_ time. Also, the team I was placed in at the time included its very own love triangle."

"Oh." That was all Kakashi responded with.

"Wait that might actually help." Genma stated before he could remind himself that curiosity actually killed the cat before it got any satisfaction. "Who was on the team?"

"Why in the world is that important?" Hinata actually glared at him, even as her cheeks reddened. He almost didn't want to know more.

"If we know who she didn't like and who they are it can help us narrow down how to smooth this whole thing along." Hinata sighed but nodded her head in understanding.

"Give me a moment to think." Hinata said even though truly she was only stalling to make it seem like the particular mission wasn't ingrained in her memory.

"To be honest she really disliked Sakura." She finally said smiling a bit to herself as she remembered. "For a little miss special to deal with the easily irritated Sakura was actually kind of funny to watch." She paused again trying to think if anything else stood out. "She was constantly telling Naruto to be quieter. The other younger girl didn't really interact with her the entire time she was more preoccupied."

"With?" Kakashi prodded. Finally realizing why, the mission had been such a horrible experience.

"Naruto and trying to get his attention."

"Ah." Kakashi nodded. Genma frowned.

"Isn't that a love square?" He asked.

"How?" Hinata asked.

"Well there Naruto after Sakura, the little one after Naruto, and you pining for him from afar as well."

"Uh, well at that time I was already in the process of giving up. It wasn't the easiest thing, but I didn't pay him any more attention than Sakura. Plus, a square still doesn't work because I've never seen the little one again. She had no other connections to any of us. She was just like an outsider to everything, but putting herself in the middle of it at the same time."

"So you did consider yourself part of the triangle then?" Kakashi asked. Hinata sighed again.

"You two are a couple of nosy-nellies aren't you. Yes, I did it was complicated Sakura kept apologizing to me, since we are friends. Complications in romance involving more than two people usually means there is some sort of triangle is present. No matter how faded one of the sides was at the time." Genma opened his mouth to ask another question, but Hinata put her hand against his mouth and turned to glare at Kakashi. "No more questions about it from either of you."

"Ok so she didn't like Sakura or Naruto." Hinata nodded. "Well the three of us might be perfect for this then. We all know how to keep our mouths shut." Kakashi smirked. "Alright that's all I had for now then. Monday at the front gates at 10 am." With that Kakashi was gone.

"Well I'm going to find Kurenai." Hinata stated back to her cheerful disposition. "If I get it figured enough out I might even be able to practice the genjutsu on the road." Genma nodded as she waved and sprung from the roof headed towards Kurenai's house.

"If this morning is any indicator then this mission will kill me. It's probably ranked correctly at A" He sighed to himself.

Hinata found Kurenai in the grass in front of her apartment letting her son play in the yard.

"Kurenai-sensei!" Hinata shouted happily to get her attention.

"I'm not your sensei any… Oh no I guess I am again." Kurenai chuckled as she embraced her previously quiet little student. "What brings you by today Hina?"

"Well I'm leaving on a mission in five days and I thought we could start that training on covering my eyes. Genma said I'm basically good to go with the senbon. He doesn't know yet, but I've been practicing taking them out of my hair without touching the tips and everything already." Kurenai grinned that was just like Hinata to work herself to the bone to become a master of anything she put her mind to. "Actually I went out to train with water yesterday and I started out with shuriken per usual and then realized I could take out two birds with one stone." Hinata smiled.

"Okay well the little is preoccupied currently so we can definitely go over the genjutsu for a bit." Hinata nodded excited to get one more step out of the way. Kurenai motioned for Hinata to sit as she sat in front of her. "Alright so I know that you have amazing chakra control so really I don't think this will take you long either. It's why I had you start with Genma I figured that would be harder to knock out than this for you. First I want you to take a deep breath." Hinata did just instructed. Kurenai led her through the process of directing her chakra to the unfamiliar location in an almost meditative state.

"How am I supposed to take this much time if it's during a mission." Kurenai smacked her on the leg.

"You know that once you learn something that practice can make it simply second nature. This just for the first few times. Okay let's go over the signs."

Hinata watched Kurenai run through the signs three times before repeating them herself. She had no problem with the rather simple combination. Kurenai left her to practice directing her chakra and the signs while she checked on her son. Kurenai had told her to simply picture a pair of eyes and preform the jutsu. She imagined different eyes every time to get a feel for the requirements for all the different types. She realized than to get any kind of desired effect she had to make her chakra softer than when she used her Byakugan. As always with training that involved a lot of chakra she grew tired. Kurenai approached her then.

"Okay I see you sweating so it must be getting close to time give it a rest but first show we what you've got so far."

"Of course. I have to use softer chakra than when I use Byakugan so I definitely can't combine them as it is right now." Kurenai nodded. "But I think I've got the process if I just practice." With that Hinata ran through her hand signs and looked up to her sensei.

"Hmm, Sakura?" Hinata nodded. "Okay, well the color is close, the shape looks dead on though. How long can you hold this?"

"A few minutes is all for now." Kurenai nodded again.

"It will get better as you try. I knew you be a natural at this." Kurenai smiled at her. "All you need is time. Practice at least one set of eyes every morning for as long as you can hold them. I want you to check back in with me when you return from the mission."

"That's it?"

"It's just chakra control Hinata you already have that down. You have the signs memorized already I'm sure. All you need now is practice. Now come on I'll make you lunch and we can talk about this special mission you're going on."

"It's not special." Hinata sighed she was disappointed she wouldn't have such a ready excuse to come see her favorite sensei. "Kakashi got Tsunade drunk to agree to it." Kurenai chuckled as she led the way into the house with her toddler in tow.

Genma sighed spit another senbon at the targets in front of him. He wanted to see Hinata, but had zero reasons too. He had left the jeweled senbon at her apartment when he had been there earlier. He had removed them from the sealed box so that he couldn't call them back to him if he thought of it later. He chastised himself again for only making it five hours before he wanted and excuse to see her again.

_I am as disgusting as Kakashi is. I have finally fallen, I knew he was a bad friend to make. _He gathered his senbon together. _What was it I was telling myself earlier… Oh yes the age difference is too large, she's to innocent, and it's painfully obvious she deserves a higher caliber of man. _

"You seem to be thinking about something very hard there." Genma was startled to find Hinata's angry blonde friend standing behind him.

"Oh yeah I guess I got lost in the thought."

"Tenten told me she and Hinata ran into you at the bar the other night."

"Oh yeah I guess we did."

"She also told me about a certain senbon master that couldn't keep his eyes to himself."

"Oh who would that be?" Ino chuckled.

"I actually sought you out to talk to you about that."

"Oh are you here to tell me everything I was just telling myself?" Genma turned to face her and leaned back against the tree his target was nailed too.

"I highly doubt it."

"Are you sure."

"Because I was here to ask you to make a move on the Hyuuga princess." Genma almost lost his senbon as his jaw dropped. "Ah see I told you it was probably different. So now that I have your full attention. Hinata is very inexperienced and unless she gains some experience her very first mission will destroy a piece of her. I don't want that to happen to her Genma-san."

"How does that equal me making a move on her?"

"Hinata told me about that 'hypothetical' advice you gave her, because she knew she wouldn't be able to ask anyone anything close to that. She has come out of her shell a lot, but not enough for that. She trusts you with her current situation, and with asking you questions so you need to push her along for her own good."

"No." Genma walked past her towards the gate.

"Why not?" Ino shouted.

"I won't push myself on her."

"Oh so you actually like _her, _it's not just her body?" Genma stalled, he hadn't thought about it being anything more than lust.

"I didn't say that, it's just not who I am. I'm sorry blondie."

"It's Ino." Genma nodded. "Well while it ruins my plans, it does make me a little happy to see someone has interest in my little Hina-chan." With that she waved and left him to stroll home alone. _This entire village is against my good intentions. _

Hinata was not surprised as her front door slammed open. She simply book marked her page in her book and put it down on her coffee table next to her new senbon. Ino bounced in and plopped down next to her.

"I'm glad you came by. I wanted to go shopping again."

"Really? Oh goodie!" Ino squealed grabbing Hinata's hand and dragging her outside.

Ino had dragged Hinata almost all the way to the shopping district before she was able to get Ino to quiet down enough to listen to her.

"Ino, I have my opinions on this stuff I want to sort through this time."

"Like what exactly?" The blonde ask finally hearing her. "You know there are restrictions as to what meets qualifications."

"I know that, but if we are going to completely do away with jacket then you have to accept I need some everyday wear as well. I can't be sex on a stick every time I leave the house." Ino chuckled and then stopped and doubled over laughing. Hinata waited patiently for her to recover.

"Oh my kami I never thought I would here you say that phrase." Ino giggled recovering a bit. "Why not though I do?" Ino was able to wink suggestively at Hinata before dissolving into another fit of giggling.

"Ino I appreciate everything you all have done so far with completely pushing me out of my comfort zone, but well I'm taking this seriously."

"Of course you are, and you should it is a mission."

"Not just that but I see this as he perfect time to change myself."

"You don't need to change." Ino put her hands on her hips turning on Hinata.

"I can't change who I am Ino, but you're my best friend and you know that a lot has happened in the last year for me. I see this mission as a perfect opportunity to change my outside to match my new stronger insides." Hinata groaned. "That sounded a lot more sage-like in my head."

"Ah I see so, you have changed anyways and why not show that to the rest of the world using this mission as the catalyst?" Hinata nodded.

"Okay, everyday wear is the goal today then. Also maybe something else as a go to for missions?'

"Yeah let's do that too." Ino clapped her hands excitedly and resumed dragging Hinata behind her.

After more than a couple hours and to many shops to count Ino and Hinata had replaced her entire wardrobe. Hinata at times was still amazed at all that Ino could do without trying out under her own hyper activity. Directly after helping Hinata find replacement for every item she owned Ino decided there was no time like the present to get rid of the old clothes. Hinata once again was dragged behind her as they went back to her apartment. She let Ino throw out everything she didn't approve of other than her trusty jacket. The article itself had not been special when she bought it, but she'd had it so long now that it felt like the perfect keepsake to remember these past years of her life.

"Would you like me to pair up the new clothes that TenTen brought, and what we got the other day and today into good outfits for you?"

"I hadn't thought of that, but that would probably help me out a lot." Hinata giggled as she placed her old jacket at the back of her closet. Ino nodded and set about matching outfits. Hinata could see that Ino would be in the zone for a while and knowing Ino would only get irritated if she tried to help her. Ino was almost obsessive about clothes, and truly took joy in what she was currently doing. Hinata slipped out of the bedroom and went to make dinner for her friend.

A/N: As you know it's been a while since I last uploaded and for that I am sorry. On a positive note I actually already have all the way to Chapter 7 in progress. So 6 done I'll upload it shortly just tweaking to run smoothly and 7 in the works. The next few won't have such a delay. :)


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